Semaphore-arm.



J. W. FENTON.

} SEMAPHOBE ARM. APPLICATION FILED 113.17, 191s.

Patented 001;. 20, 1914.

2 sums-sum 1.

. ATTORNEY.

H m i W WITNESSES THE NORRIS PETERS Co. PHOTO LITHO., WASHING TON. :7. C

J. WQFBNTON.

SEMAPHQRE ARM- APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1913.

cxjuuw ENTON 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR A'I TOFINEY Patented 0015.20, 1914.

| I F I //1 Qffirmdk H11 NORRIS PETERS CD PHOTO LIT: wiumlvnww L UNITED srarns rarnnr orrion.

JOHN w. rENroiv, or MILLnRsBnn onio, ASSIGNOR T0 SAIVIL r. SPENCER, or

:onnsnnlxt, 0-1110.

Specification of Lettersiatentf. pat nt d o t 20 1 Application med February 1731913. seria1No. 748,903. v

i To all whom it may] concern:

siding at Millersburg, in the county of Holmes and State of'Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Semaphore-Arms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

vide a luminous arm of novel construction cap able of withstandingthe forces ofnature,

andto provide an electrically illuminated semaphore arm that can be easily observed] at night without any danger, ofan' engineer or tra'inman being mistaken as to the positionof said arm.

'Other objects of myinv'ention are to provide a semaphore arm with novel iHumi nated reflectors that are positioned within the arm whereby both sides of the arm'can be used at night for signaling purposes, and to furnish a semaphore arm with an incandescent lamp, reflector and lens for casting. a ray of light throughout the length of thesemaphore arm.

Further objects of my invention are to. providea luminous semaphore arm that can be readily installed in connection with the present type of signaling apparatus to be' used in lieu of the ordmary wooden and metal semaphore arm,- and to accomplish the above results by a semaphore armthat is simple in. construction, durable, light 111 purposesweight and highly efiicient for the for which it is intended.

then claimed. v y

Reference will now behad to the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of asemaphore arm in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of.

the same, Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view, taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2, Fig. 1 is a similar view takenon the line IVIV of 'Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the semaphore arm, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the-arm illustrating principally the frame thereof, Fig. 7 is perspective view of a detached corrugated deflector, Fig. 8 is a similar view of a flat refflector, Fig. 9 is anenlargedsendview of a portion of the arm, Fig. ,10 is a plan of an farm partly broken away and partly in sec- 5171011, and Flg. 11 is a plan of the semaphore {arm illustrating the manner in which it is iconnec tedto a signaling apparatus.

A semaphore arm in accordance with this H 3 'ii'ivent-ion conforms. in size, and shape, as This invention relates to semaphore arms, and the ob ects of my invention are to pro much as possible to the ordinary semaphore arm, is, said arm is comparatively fiat and. tapers from the outerend thereofto 'housl'n'g 3 having openlngs 4 and 5. The

top -ofdthe. housing 'has'an' apertured ear 6 ai'i'cl'tlie frontof'the' housing has apertured llugs7, said ear 'an'd said lugs beingformed integralwith the housing. and it is in this connection that itis preferable to cast the land 21, housing 3, the ear 6 and the lugs 7 o'faluminum or'a similar light and durable material. The apertured ear 6 accommodates-a connection Sofa signaling iapparatus (see Fig. 11). lugs {and tapering from the outer ends thereof to v I j The apertured n (permit of. a h1ngeddoor9cl0sing the front side of the housing 3, while the openthe inner ends,v whereby the outer ends of the ribs are substantially rectangular in cross section and the inner ends'thereofinverted I V -shape in cross section, as best shown in Figs. 3,- 41 and 6. n q

The confronting sides of'the rails 1 and 2, ad acent to the longitudinal edges thereof, are provided with longitudinal grooves '15 extending throughthe outer ends of the rails to thehousing '3 and slid-ably mounted fin said grooves are transparent plates 16,

preferably made of glass. Mounted between the transparent plates 16 and the ribs 14: are reflectors 17 and saidreflectors have thelongitudinal edges thereof bent, as at 18 and as bestshownin Figs. 7 and 8 to conformto fthebeveled sides of the ribs. The longitudinal edges of the reflectorshave openings 19 1 whereby said reflectors can be secured to the ribs by screws or other fastening means. The inner ends of the reflectors meet at the inner ends of the ribs 14, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, said reflectors diverging from the housing 3 to the outer end of the semaphore arm, whereby there will be a gradually converging space between said reflectors and the plates 16, the space converging from the in: ner ends of the reflectors to the outer ends thereof, the object of whichwill presently appear.

Secured to the outer beveled ends of the rails 1 and 2 by screws 20 or other fastening means is an end plate 21 that retains the reflectors and the transparent plates in posi tion, and to prevent the transparent plates from being broken or injured by a movement of the semaphore arm, resilient gaskets or cushions 22 are placed in the grooves 15 to provide yieldable seats for the edges ofthe transparent plates.

In the housing 3there are'arranged lens holders 23 for a lens 24: and located adjacent to said lens is an incandescent lamp 25 that is connected to a'suitable source of electrical energy, preferably that used in connection with the signaling system. Adjacent to the incandescent lamp 25 is a reflector 26 that cooperates with the lens 24 in projecting rays of light along the outer sides of the reflectors 17. The rays of light areprojected between the reflectors 17 and the transparent plates 16 and in some instances said reflectors can have a smooth and polished surface, as

' bodying detachable diverging reflectors upon which there are cast rays of light from a suitable illuminating device at the inner end of the arm. It is through the medium of the transparent plates that the reflectors are protected against the forces of nature and with the arm made of aluminum and proper electrical connections established, said arm will. withstand rough usage and exposure to which the semaphore arms of signaling ap paratus are subjected.

While in the drawings there are illustrated the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such changes, as in the size, shape and manner of assemblage as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is l. A semaphore arm comprising a static-nary frame, a housing fixed to one end thereof, reflectors extending throughout the length of said frame and diverging from the housing to the other end of the frame,

and means within said housing forv casting rays of light against said reflectors.

2. A semaphore arm comprising a frame, a housing at one end thereof, reflectors extendingthroughout the length of said frame and diverging from the housing to the other end of the frame, transparent plates arranged in said frame at the outer sides of said reflectors, and means within said housing for casting rays of light against said reflectors.

3. A semaphore arm comprising a frame, a housing at one end thereof, reflectors extending throughout the length of said frame and havingend engagement adjacent said housing,transparent plates'arranged in said frame at the outer sides of said reflectors,

and means within said housing for casting rays of light against said reflectors, said means including a lens, a reflector, and an incandescent lamp interposed between said lens and said reflector. I

4. A semaphore arm comprising a frame, a housing carried by one end thereof, longitudinal corrugated reflectors arranged throughout the length of said frame and having end engagement adjacent said housing, transparent plates carried by said frame at the outer sides of said reflectors, and means within said housing for casting rays of light between said transparent plates and said reflectors.

5. A semaphore arm comprising a frame, a housing at one end thereof, a detachable end plate closing the other end of said frame, longitudinal ribs carried by the confronting sides of said frame and diverging from the housing to the other end of the frame, removable diverging reflectors arranged against said ribs and having end engagement adjacent the said housing, transparent plates carried by said frame at the outer sides of said reflectors, a lens within said housing, an incandescent lamp within said housing for projecting rays of light through said lens and along the outer sides of said reflectors, and means whereby easy access can be had to the interior of said housing.

6. A semaphore arm comprising a frame gradually increasing in width from one end toward the other and having a housing integral with the smaller end, said housing opening into said smaller end, a pair of re movable reflectors arranged within said.

said reflectors, said reflectors gradually increasing in width from the smaller to the larger end of the frame.

7. A semaphore arm comprising a frame gradually increasing in width from one end toward the other and having a housing in tegral with the smaller end, said housing opening into said smaller end, a pair of reflectors arranged within said frame and meeting at the smaller end thereof, said reflectors diverging from the housing to the larger end of the frame, means within said housing for casting rays of light against said reflectors, said reflectors gradually increasing in width from the smaller to the larger end of the frame, and protective means for said reflectors.

8. A semaphore arm comprising a frame having a housing integral with one end thereof, said housing opening into the frame, a pair of reflectors secured within the frame and meeting at the housing opening and diverging from the housing to the other end of the frame, and means within said housing for casting rays of light against said reflectors.

9. A semaphore arm comprising a frame having a housing integral with one end thereof, said housing opening into the frame, a pair of reflectors secured within the frame and having end engagement adjacent the housing opening and diverging from the housing to the other end of the frame, means within said housing for easting rays of light against said reflectors, and a protective means secured to the frames for each of said reflectors.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. 7

JOHN W. FENTON.

Witnesses: MAX H. SRoLovrrz,

KATHE INE ERRETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

